Our Love, A Public Service - Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Chi Lishu paused, a piece of fruit halfway to her mouth, and turned to look at Chi Jia, asking, "Why do you ask?"
Having witnessed her brother's experience, she was naturally sensitive to this topic.
The suspicion in Chi Lishu's tone made Chi Jia feel a little guilty under her mother's gaze.
"Just a hypothetical…" Chi Jia said casually, taking a piece of fruit from the platter. As she ate, her eyes on the TV, she mumbled, "This orange is so sweet, Mom, can you cut some more?"
Chi Lishu looked at Chi Jia for a moment, then stood up, teasing her, "Such poor table manners, no one will want you in the future."
Chi Jia, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, lifted her chin. "Don't worry about that, plenty of people like your daughter."
"Be careful who you choose, alright?"
"I know." Chi Jia urged her to cut more fruit.
Chi Lishu went to the kitchen to cut more fruit. She wasn't worried about her daughter not having any suitors; she was worried that Chi Jia, being young, would choose the wrong person and get hurt.
Because of her own mother's experience, Chi Jia's views on love were more mature and realistic than her peers'.
Chi Jia looked back at her mother's retreating figure, her smile fading, a shadow of sadness in her eyes. Why had she suddenly asked that question? She knew who it was because of.
How could her mother possibly accept it? It was difficult for the older generation to accept their children being gay, her uncle and aunt were a prime example.
Chi Jia's parents divorced when she was two years old. Chi Lishu had fought hard for custody, and although life had been difficult at first, seeing her daughter grow up day by day was a source of comfort. Later, as Chi Jia grew older and more sensible, and her work became stable, their lives gradually improved.
Chi Lishu, in her early forties, took good care of herself and dressed stylishly, looking much younger than her age. When they went shopping together, people often didn't believe Chi Jia was her daughter.
Chi Jia had wanted her mother to remarry for a long time, but Chi Lishu had devoted herself entirely to raising her, always saying that having her daughter was enough.
So Chi Jia cared deeply about Chi Lishu, and when she realized she had feelings for a woman, her first thought was, what about her mother?
But perhaps, falling in love with someone of the same sex wasn't as difficult and terrifying as she imagined. This thought crossed Chi Jia's mind the next day when she saw her cousin, whom she hadn't seen in years.
"Xiao Jia, you've become so beautiful, I almost didn't recognize you."
Chi Jia almost didn't recognize the handsome man in the blue sweater either; it was her cousin. It had been five years; Chi Jia was still in high school back then, and her cousin had been kicked out of the house, looking distraught.
Her cousin and his husband stood together, a perfect match, their faces radiating happiness. A couple that everyone had disapproved of and tried to separate, now, because of their persistence, were gradually being accepted. Such a beautiful love story, Chi Jia couldn't help but feel a little envious. Her cousin must love the man beside him very much; he had defied everyone to be with him, and thankfully, his love wasn't in vain.
That afternoon, as Chi Jia and Chi Lishu were shopping for clothes, she asked curiously, "How did my uncle and aunt suddenly accept my cousin and his husband?"
Chi Lishu sighed. "Do you think parents are that heartless? They just want their children to be happy. After all these years, now that your cousin is married and settled down, what's there to object to? Time heals all wounds."
"Mmm." Chi Jia lowered her head, murmuring in agreement.
Many things would eventually be resolved with time and family.
"Chi Jia, come to the meeting."
"Chi Jia, revise the proposal."
"Chi Jia, your client is looking for you."
Holidays always flew by quickly. After the New Year break, Chi Jia was once again swamped with work. Sticky notes covered her computer screen, each one a client waiting to be attended to, prioritized from top to bottom.
Only a week back at work, and she was already overwhelmed. Chi Jia pulled off a sticky note, and looking at the client's name, she was lost in thought. She hadn't contacted Jing Rui since their "breakup," but no contact wasn't realistic; Miss Jing was still her client, after all.
The main construction of the new restaurant had been completed before the New Year; only the interior decoration remained. Chi Jia and Jing Rui had only decided on the overall style; the specifics still needed to be discussed.
Chi Jia had two numbers for Jing Rui; initially, Jing Rui had given her her work number, but later, as they contacted each other more often, Jing Rui started using her private number.
Chi Jia chose to call Jing Rui's work number. After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the call button.
"…?"
Chi Jia paused; it wasn't Jing Rui's voice, but a stranger's.
", this is Chi Jia, a designer from AS, I'm looking for President Jing."
Jing Rui happened to be out, and her temporary secretary, unaware of Miss Chi's special status, answered the phone with the standard greeting. "May I ask what it's regarding? I'll inform President Jing."
Chi Jia explained that she needed to discuss the furniture and decor for the restaurant.
"Restaurant decor? You're looking for President Jing?" The secretary was surprised, wondering if she had dialed the wrong number. Their boss was in venture capital; if she had to deal with every minor detail like renovations, she would be exhausted.
Chi Jia, clearly unaware of this, asked, "Is President Jing available anytime soon?"
The secretary told her to select the furniture and decor first, then compile the information and send it by email, no need for a meeting.
"Okay, I understand." Chi Jia hung up, feeling inexplicably disappointed.
Later that evening, as the secretary was reporting to Jing Rui, she remembered the call from the designer that afternoon. "Ms. Jing, a designer called this afternoon, wanting to discuss the restaurant decor. I told her to compile the information and send it by email."
Hearing the word "designer," Jing Rui looked up. "Last name Chi?"
"Yes, last name Chi, Chi Jia."
"I see, you can leave now." Jing Rui took a sip of her coffee, the slightly bitter taste lingering in her mouth. She stared at the documents on her desk, her mind elsewhere.
10 PM, Chi Jia, having just showered, lay in bed, lost in thought, still thinking about the phone call that afternoon. There was a thought she didn't want to admit, yet it was undeniably there: she wanted to see Jing Rui.
She just couldn't forget her, even when she was dating Qin Dong, her mind had been filled with Jing Rui.
"I'm serious." Chi Jia hugged her pillow, remembering Jing Rui's words, the expression on her face, every detail vivid in her memory. She had been truly moved at that moment, wanting to throw caution to the wind and agree to be Jing Rui's girlfriend, to give them a chance, but at the last moment, reason had prevailed.
However, because of her cousin's situation, Chi Jia's perspective had started to shift. Before, liking someone of the same sex was completely unacceptable to her, but now…
Her phone suddenly rang, pulling her back to reality.
Caller ID: Vixen.
Why was she calling? Chi Jia stared at the screen for a moment before answering, then greeted her awkwardly, "Miss Jing…?"
Jing Rui had finally contacted Chi Jia, but that formal greeting annoyed her. Chi Jia really knew how to push her buttons. Jing Rui said calmly, "Call me on this number from now on."
"Okay." Chi Jia fiddled with the sheets. "I'll send you the decor proposal as soon as possible…"
"No need, let's discuss it in person tomorrow night."
Chi Jia couldn't help but raise her voice. "Didn't you say you didn't have time?"
Comments
Post a Comment